(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Kwon Hee-won = On the 5th, the People Power Party launched an onslaught, saying that it would mobilize all possible means, such as a government investigation and special prosecution, to determine who is responsible, as a series of cases were confirmed in our military's front-line units where alerts were made without inserting live ammunition.
Chief Spokesperson Park Seong-hoon said in a commentary that day, "The non-sap bullet warning has been confirmed in all corps on the front line from Ganghwa Island to the east coast," and criticized, "While the North Korean military crossed the Military Demarcation Line and laid mines and our soldiers were injured, the front line was 'empty guns' and the military leadership was 'blind'."
Chief Spokesperson Park also mentioned President Lee Jae-myung's speech commemorating the October 4th Inter-Korean Summit Declaration the previous day, and sarcastically said, "North Korea responds with missiles, but the President is speaking of peace again," adding, "What kind of face are you talking about independent national defense when not even a single gun can be properly prepared for combat on the front line facing the enemy?"
Senior Spokesperson Park also said in a briefing that day, "We will use all available institutional methods, such as a government investigation and special prosecutors, to uncover the truth behind the empty guns," and added, "We will thoroughly hold accountable who gave the Bisaptan order."
Five-term lawmaker Na Kyung-won also said on Facebook on the same day, "While North Korea is firing hypersonic missiles and taunting the Republic of Korea, and frequently crossing the Military Demarcation Line to plant land mines, it is said that our soldiers guarding the front lines do not have a single live bullet in their guns," and urged, "The real background and superiors behind the 'empty gun alert' order must be revealed one by one."
He then criticized, “Yesterday, President Lee Jae-myung mentioned the October 4 Declaration and is once again shaking the NLL (Northern Limit Line) in the West Sea, which our soldiers protected with their blood.”
Five-term lawmaker Yoon Sang-hyun also mentioned President Lee's congratulatory speech the day before and criticized, "What the people want to hear is not an empty slogan to 'break the vicious cycle,' but a clear answer on what the government will do in response to North Korea's violation of the armistice agreement and how it will protect the lives of citizens and soldiers."
Rep. Yoo Yong-won of the People Power Party held a press conference at the National Assembly on this day and claimed, “It is said that in the 21st Division on the Eastern Front, even structures such as barbed wire fences installed by the North Korean military are installed in the area south of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL),” adding, “North Korea’s violations of the MDL are occurring more widely than previously known.”
He added, "Considering that when looking toward the North from South Korea, mines are usually deployed in the order of 'minefield - tactical road - barbed wire fence,' we cannot rule out the possibility that not only the barbed wire fence, but also minefields and tactical roads have invaded the MDL in the 21st Division area."
Representative Yoo met with reporters after the press conference and said, "It is understood that the barbed wire fence was installed in the 21st Division area relatively recently, between August and September," and added, "It should be seen as part of North Korea's border fortification."
Regarding this, Rep. Park Chung-kwon posted a post on Facebook that day, saying, "It wasn't just that North Korea crossed the MDL and laid hundreds of landmines in our territory," and criticized, "In this situation, treason is being committed on all fronts by rushing to transfer operational control early, weakening the future combat power of the military by merging the three military academies, and emptying the front lines and giving up territory to the North Korean military."
